Recent advancements in the ability of computing systems to recognize and understand human speech has led to the increased use and availability of computer-based personal assistants or other speech-interactive computing systems. In particular, certain “smart” appliances are beginning to incorporate advanced features able to directly respond to user voice requests. For example, an appliance can perform a requested action or operation or can use a speaker and/or digital display to provide a response to a voice request.
However, from the user's perspective, the increasing presence of such feature-rich appliances can undesirably increase the complexity of interacting with a single appliance in an environment where several of such appliances are present, such as a kitchen. For example, multiple smart appliances can detect a user voice command and attempt to simultaneously respond. Thus, a command that is directed to only a single appliance may elicit an response from multiple appliances, requiring the user to expend additional effort in remediating the unintended responses.
Further, various smart features can be spread across multiple appliances. However, the user can be unaware of the particular capabilities of each appliance. Thus, the user may be unsure of which appliance to direct a particular command or request.
As another example, the user may wish to interact with the most proximate appliance, for example because the user is engaged in performing a task such as cooking, but in fact desire to elicit a response from an appliance that is not the most proximate. In such case, a voice signal may fail reach its desired target with sufficient clarity.
Therefore, there is an increased consumer desire for improved systems and methods that allow groupings of appliances to provide smart features in a more intelligent and intuitive fashion. In particular, improved systems and methods for intelligent placement of an appliance response to a human voice signal are desirable.